Scan barcode
bmg20's review
3.0
‘They’d all been wrong and had seen nothing but their own obsessions in the windows they’d tried to gaze through, which, in fact, turned out to have been mirrors all along.’
When Peter Katz receives a compelling partial manuscript, he contacts the author immediately in hopes of receiving the end of the story only to find out that he’s been hospitalized from complications due to lung cancer. He dies days later but Peter is unable to leave the story be because the story involves an individual by the name of Joseph Wieder who was murdered in real-life and he feels the story possesses the echoes of truth. Could this story possibly be the puzzle piece that ends up solving this unsolved crime? When Peter hires investigative journalist John Keller to look for the missing manuscript, he comes up empty. Diving back into the past and interviewing individuals who knew Joseph Wieder in an attempt to decipher whether the manuscript was truthful or not proves to be difficult. Who remembers details from decades later? So were the police correct at the time of the crime, is the manuscript correct, or is the truth still waiting to be uncovered?
The Book of Mirrors is a book within a book. The first part of this novel we’re introduced to Peter Katz, and we get to read the exact manuscript that he did. We become acquainted with Richard Flynn (the author of the manuscript) and Laura Baines. Both are students at Princeton and both are acquainted with Joseph Wieder. We learn of the mystery behind Wieder, a brilliant psychology, and of the secret experiments that he was conducting on individuals minds. Whether or not the experiments were what inevitably caused his death or not, it would have been interesting to learn more about them, but rather the story seems to only wish to paint Wieder as something of a mad scientist. The second part of the story is told from the point of view of John Keller, the investigative journalist. And the third and final part is told from the point of view of retired police detective Roy Freeman, the original investigator of the Wieder murder. The separate points of view would have given the story dimension but the voices themselves detract from this objective since they all, unfortunately, sound the same.
Comparisons to Night Film are way off. The story is a slow-paced mystery but the lack of urgency is simply due to the fact that there wasn’t a need for it: the crime was almost three decades old and almost everyone that could have possibly been involved is deceased. This certainly takes away any heightened intensity that a typical detective thriller may have but doesn’t take away from the interest in discovering the truth. Unreliable statements, secrets, and flawed memories will keep the reader speculating but could also have the effect of causing irritation at a continued lack of progress in the investigation. While the resolution is plausible, it was wrapped up a little too flawlessly for my liking.
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
When Peter Katz receives a compelling partial manuscript, he contacts the author immediately in hopes of receiving the end of the story only to find out that he’s been hospitalized from complications due to lung cancer. He dies days later but Peter is unable to leave the story be because the story involves an individual by the name of Joseph Wieder who was murdered in real-life and he feels the story possesses the echoes of truth. Could this story possibly be the puzzle piece that ends up solving this unsolved crime? When Peter hires investigative journalist John Keller to look for the missing manuscript, he comes up empty. Diving back into the past and interviewing individuals who knew Joseph Wieder in an attempt to decipher whether the manuscript was truthful or not proves to be difficult. Who remembers details from decades later? So were the police correct at the time of the crime, is the manuscript correct, or is the truth still waiting to be uncovered?
The Book of Mirrors is a book within a book. The first part of this novel we’re introduced to Peter Katz, and we get to read the exact manuscript that he did. We become acquainted with Richard Flynn (the author of the manuscript) and Laura Baines. Both are students at Princeton and both are acquainted with Joseph Wieder. We learn of the mystery behind Wieder, a brilliant psychology, and of the secret experiments that he was conducting on individuals minds. Whether or not the experiments were what inevitably caused his death or not, it would have been interesting to learn more about them, but rather the story seems to only wish to paint Wieder as something of a mad scientist. The second part of the story is told from the point of view of John Keller, the investigative journalist. And the third and final part is told from the point of view of retired police detective Roy Freeman, the original investigator of the Wieder murder. The separate points of view would have given the story dimension but the voices themselves detract from this objective since they all, unfortunately, sound the same.
Comparisons to Night Film are way off. The story is a slow-paced mystery but the lack of urgency is simply due to the fact that there wasn’t a need for it: the crime was almost three decades old and almost everyone that could have possibly been involved is deceased. This certainly takes away any heightened intensity that a typical detective thriller may have but doesn’t take away from the interest in discovering the truth. Unreliable statements, secrets, and flawed memories will keep the reader speculating but could also have the effect of causing irritation at a continued lack of progress in the investigation. While the resolution is plausible, it was wrapped up a little too flawlessly for my liking.
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
nickmasters's review
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the underlying premise of a lost manuscript and the unravelling of an unexplained mystery. The first part was well written and you get drawn straight into the mystery from the start as the story builds up to what you feel will be the disclosure of what actually happened 25 years ago.
The 2nd and 3rd parts of the book build on the mystery as more characters are introduced and the complexity of relationships, motives, and events are analysed. I do however need to criticise the writing in these two thirds of the book. I often felt like details and events were being relayed in list format and I felt the flow was often lost. I also found myself trying to remember which character was actually portraying certain parts, which speaks to a lack of identity for certain characters. Additionally the review copy was sans formatting which hindered the flow drastically, and in particular conversations were exceptionally difficult to follow. I don’t feel though that the book should be unfairly criticized on this latter part, although it did make the experience less enjoyable.
Again the underlying premise is great, and the inclusion of theories around memory discernment and manipulation was brilliant. I am sure I am not alone when I admit to believing I had a childhood memory that was later confirmed to be a generated memory based on other people’s recollections. And if that is possible (which I don’t think anyone can dispute) then why can’t we purposefully implant memories or remove memories under the right conditions. These theories were actually dived into a bit deeper in AJ Waines’ ‘Inside the Whispers’.
Additionally I enjoyed the way you are left at the end of the book, still wondering who left out or manipulated key information from their relayed perspective, as there are definitely questions left unanswered.
Not sure how I feel about this book. Great promise from the onset, great plot and premise, just one or two too many flaws for my liking. It is however E.O. Chirovici first foray into English literature, and after churning out a pretty decent read, you have to believe there are great things on the horizon!
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!
The 2nd and 3rd parts of the book build on the mystery as more characters are introduced and the complexity of relationships, motives, and events are analysed. I do however need to criticise the writing in these two thirds of the book. I often felt like details and events were being relayed in list format and I felt the flow was often lost. I also found myself trying to remember which character was actually portraying certain parts, which speaks to a lack of identity for certain characters. Additionally the review copy was sans formatting which hindered the flow drastically, and in particular conversations were exceptionally difficult to follow. I don’t feel though that the book should be unfairly criticized on this latter part, although it did make the experience less enjoyable.
Again the underlying premise is great, and the inclusion of theories around memory discernment and manipulation was brilliant. I am sure I am not alone when I admit to believing I had a childhood memory that was later confirmed to be a generated memory based on other people’s recollections. And if that is possible (which I don’t think anyone can dispute) then why can’t we purposefully implant memories or remove memories under the right conditions. These theories were actually dived into a bit deeper in AJ Waines’ ‘Inside the Whispers’.
Additionally I enjoyed the way you are left at the end of the book, still wondering who left out or manipulated key information from their relayed perspective, as there are definitely questions left unanswered.
Not sure how I feel about this book. Great promise from the onset, great plot and premise, just one or two too many flaws for my liking. It is however E.O. Chirovici first foray into English literature, and after churning out a pretty decent read, you have to believe there are great things on the horizon!
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!
thebookeer's review against another edition
4.0
"The Book of Mirrors" is a story of how an unresolved crime case from over 20 years ago gets brought to daylight when a publisher gets a part of a draft of a book, which covers the mysterious murder of professor Joseph Wieder. The publisher hires a journalist to investigate this draft and check the facts when he realizes that everyone is telling a different story about the case.
I enjoyed how this book's approach is different from the conventional crime-slash-mystery books. The story is gripping and keeps the reader on edge until the very last page. The book covers the points of view of three different narrators with different personalities. This book has an assortment of various things that I like!
If you like crime, I suggest reading it.
I enjoyed how this book's approach is different from the conventional crime-slash-mystery books. The story is gripping and keeps the reader on edge until the very last page. The book covers the points of view of three different narrators with different personalities. This book has an assortment of various things that I like!
If you like crime, I suggest reading it.
_rusalka's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this up cold from the library as I needed a book with something broken on the cover. Sounded like an interesting thriller, so why not. And it is, to an extent. It's a twisty, turny book, told from multiple perspectives. The first you take as true, as why wouldn't you? But each new person who picks up the baton learns bits and pieces that shake what you thought was true before and makes you question everything.
That said, there are a few flaws that drove me a little crazy:
• The details that are given about getting places is excruciating. I don't care what highway someone took out of New York, what turn off they too, how long they drove down it and turned right on to something in New Jersey, then took a left and parked in front of the school house. I do not care.
• The second and third perspectives are incapable of referring to any of the other characters except by their full names. I know Laura is Laura Baines. There is only one Laura in the book. You could call her Laura, or Baines if you wish, but you don't have to... oh okay, you're going to anyway... for 200pp or so. Great.
• The author has this annoying habit of over explaining details. They don't really have rhyme or reason of what he chooses to go into great detail about, but you will be stuck there being borderline mansplained to.
This said, it was a reasonable twisty read for a random pick up.
That said, there are a few flaws that drove me a little crazy:
• The details that are given about getting places is excruciating. I don't care what highway someone took out of New York, what turn off they too, how long they drove down it and turned right on to something in New Jersey, then took a left and parked in front of the school house. I do not care.
• The second and third perspectives are incapable of referring to any of the other characters except by their full names. I know Laura is Laura Baines. There is only one Laura in the book. You could call her Laura, or Baines if you wish, but you don't have to... oh okay, you're going to anyway... for 200pp or so. Great.
• The author has this annoying habit of over explaining details. They don't really have rhyme or reason of what he chooses to go into great detail about, but you will be stuck there being borderline mansplained to.
This said, it was a reasonable twisty read for a random pick up.
tearsinthesea's review
4.0
The book was pretty interesting but the last part definitely dragged out a bit. Really glad I picked up this book randomly at the library. It was definitely entertaining
tanninsandtales's review
4.0
[b:The Book of Mirrors|29905588|The Book of Mirrors|E.O. Chirovici|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473247066s/29905588.jpg|47192843] is the story of a cold case and a reflection on how memories work.
It is told through three different perspectives. One of the suspects of the brutal murder of a college professor writes a book about the case. Then, a journalist researches the validity of the claims found in said manuscript and, finally, a cop who had been involved in the investigation decides to dig deeper and find out once and for all who the culprit was.
I thought the format was creative and extremely adequate to the story being told. The plot was intriguing and kept my interest until the end.
(Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!)
It is told through three different perspectives. One of the suspects of the brutal murder of a college professor writes a book about the case. Then, a journalist researches the validity of the claims found in said manuscript and, finally, a cop who had been involved in the investigation decides to dig deeper and find out once and for all who the culprit was.
I thought the format was creative and extremely adequate to the story being told. The plot was intriguing and kept my interest until the end.
(Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!)
patty_creatively_bookish's review against another edition
3.0
Verhaal: 3,5/5
Karakters: 3,5/5
Schrijfstijl: 3/5
Papier/audio? Audio.
Herlezen: Wellicht.
Karakters: 3,5/5
Schrijfstijl: 3/5
Papier/audio? Audio.
Herlezen: Wellicht.
anyoneandnobody's review against another edition
4.0
J'aime beaucoup ce genre de polar où une boite en ouvre une autre qui en ouvre encore une et ainsi continue la danse jusqu'au dénouement final. J'aime que la lectrice/le lecteur puisse établir ses hypothèses, les réévaluer, les modifier à mesure que les informations se dévoilent et ici c'est brillamment fait.
C'est tellement fluide que ça coule sans effort. Pas que le style soit simpliste mais l'auteur sait être juste dans le choix des mots et la construction de son récit sans en faire des caisses. Et c'est ce que j'aime par dessus tout dans une histoire.
C'était une écoute si prenante - et excellemment narrée par Vincent Schmitt, merci Monsieur - que j'ai commencé et terminé l'écoute aujourd'hui.
Je termine en donnant un conseil qui d'ailleurs peut s'appliquer à toute nouvelle lecture ; évitez de lire les chroniques. J'ai commencé l'écoute en ne connaissant que le résumé (et encore je l'avais déjà en partie oublié), c'est peut-être l'une des raisons pour lesquelles je l'ai autant apprécié puisque je n'avais ni attente ni appréhension.
C'est tellement fluide que ça coule sans effort. Pas que le style soit simpliste mais l'auteur sait être juste dans le choix des mots et la construction de son récit sans en faire des caisses. Et c'est ce que j'aime par dessus tout dans une histoire.
C'était une écoute si prenante - et excellemment narrée par Vincent Schmitt, merci Monsieur - que j'ai commencé et terminé l'écoute aujourd'hui.
Je termine en donnant un conseil qui d'ailleurs peut s'appliquer à toute nouvelle lecture ; évitez de lire les chroniques. J'ai commencé l'écoute en ne connaissant que le résumé (et encore je l'avais déjà en partie oublié), c'est peut-être l'une des raisons pour lesquelles je l'ai autant apprécié puisque je n'avais ni attente ni appréhension.
chasingholden's review
4.0
The Book of Mirrors is a beautifully written story within a story within a story unlike any I've come across before. The stories are elegantly blended with each other and the author did a fantastic job of ensuring the writing style/tone shifted with each narrator which is something that is usually overlooked by authors trying to pull off a story such as this one. That alone made me love this story and gave me a strong appreciation for E.O. Chirovici
This is not your average quick and dirty whodunit novel. This is more of a lovely piece of literature that happens to be mind bending, with a 25 year old unsolved murder case and the rush to piece together the real story behind it all giving it a psychological mystery air. But make no mistakes, it is definitely a literary story that is very much worth your time, as long as you understand what kind of book you're picking up (or have no expectations such as I hadn't when I picked it up)
Don't let a few negative reviews keep you from picking this up. No book is for everyone but you may regret not at least finding out for yourself the delights hidden among the pages of The Book of Mirrors.
This is not your average quick and dirty whodunit novel. This is more of a lovely piece of literature that happens to be mind bending, with a 25 year old unsolved murder case and the rush to piece together the real story behind it all giving it a psychological mystery air. But make no mistakes, it is definitely a literary story that is very much worth your time, as long as you understand what kind of book you're picking up (or have no expectations such as I hadn't when I picked it up)
Don't let a few negative reviews keep you from picking this up. No book is for everyone but you may regret not at least finding out for yourself the delights hidden among the pages of The Book of Mirrors.